Knockturn Alley, which he’d always found slightly off-putting, was even creepier when it was deserted. Only a few curious onlookers stood in doorways or peeked tentatively through heavy curtains. According to one eyewitness, most of the bystanders had scattered quickly following all of the commotion, even the innocent skulking back to their hiding places to avoid being questioned by the Ministry. That would make Theoren’s job difficult. He and a few of the other officers had been ordered to gather more witness reports, to give the Aurors as much information as possible as they attempted to solve the case.
Apparently there had been some kind of disagreement between two wizards in the street – the same eyewitness thought he’d heard them arguing prices. A duel had broken out, resulting in an entire shopfront had been blasted apart. That part may have been an accident, but both men had attempted to flee the scene, and only one had been lucky enough to escape in one piece. The other had splinched himself badly while attempting to Disapparate, leaving his entire forearm – from elbow to fingertips – lying on the cobblestone. It was unclear whether his opponent had grabbed hold of him, causing the injury; in any event, he wouldn’t last long without help. And for now they had absolutely nothing to go off of.
The late November air was chilly and damp under the pale morning sky. A thin veil of mist remained from the evening before, swirling along the narrow, winding alley. Moisture clung to the dark stone walls and gathered in puddles underfoot. A section of the alley had been roped off and the arm had been concealed; Aurors were currently examining the scene for more clues. The press had not yet arrived, but it was only a matter of time – they couldn’t keep something like this quiet for long.
His navy blue Squad robes were only really useful as repellent in this part of the alley. Nobody would be interested in talking to him when he was dressed like this. Theoren was just about to approach the nearest door and knock when he noticed a young woman stepping out from one of the nearby shops. She was pretty, fair-skinned and dark-haired, and looked very familiar. “Miss, excuse me,” Theoren called, stepping toward her, trying to catch her attention. And then he recognized her. “Wait a minute, you’re Lorin’s friend, aren’t you?” A faint smile crossed his face. Rose was her name. He didn’t know her very well, but Theoren doubted any friend of his sister’s could be involved in something like this.
Still, maybe she had seen something. Theoren smiled again to show that he was no threat. “I was wondering if you saw any of what happened this morning?” He gestured over his shoulder in the direction of the crime scene, wondering if she was even aware of what was going on.
